An End of the Year Party
by Rico Perrien
Summary: After the defeat of Voldemort, the students at Hogwarts have a party to celebrate the end of a very bad year. Bad pun warning


An End of the Year Party

Rating: T AU One-shot

Disclaimer: I don't own anything of the Harry Potter empire, and receive no compensation for imagining this stuff, so I have to keep coming to this bloody office and pretending to work while I'm actually writing this drivel for my own amusement. Un-beta'd, so blame me for any errors.

Synopsis: After the Battle of Hogwarts, and the consequent deaths or disgrace of several of the dark-leaning students, the remaining (and surviving) students decide to hold an end-of-the-year/end-of-Voldemort's-terror party.

Warning: Bad Puns

Word circulated through the student towers and dungeons of Hogwarts, indicating that there would be an end of the year party in the Great Hall to celebrate surviving the horrors and the terrors of the previous few years. The word was carefully spread to the staff that underage students (or those who had not, at least, participated in various quidditch teams' previous shindigs, blow-outs and revelry), would be sent to bed at a reasonable hour. This information was shared with staff, who might in good conscience attend as chaperones.

What was not shared with the staff was that the party was expected to continue for some time thereafter in the prefects' bathroom (which had a large swimming pool, and was being enlarged to hold the participants), that several of the of-age students would be procuring suitable refreshments, and that those who had borne the brunt of the fighting and abuse of the previous years would be expected to 'let their hair down', as it were.

A further instruction, passed in whispered tone, was that everyone was expected to be attired in their best or prettiest underthings, or swimsuits if they preferred, and that it was expected that these would become visible at some point in the party as outer clothing could very well be expected to get wet. Whether the occupants of said outer clothing were to be splashed by those in the pool, or were to be physically thrown into the pool, was to be decided later.

At seven o'clock, the surviving students arrived in the Great Hall to find vast coolers of butterbeer and pumpkin juice set around the room with all manner of fattening and unhealthy treats laid out on tables by the house elves. Unknown (but certainly suspected) some younger Ravenclaw students moved around the room casting highly age-inappropriate fermentation spells on the drinks, resulting in the otherwise innocuous beverages attaining significantly higher alcohol content than was originally present.

Harry Potter, Hermione Granger and Ron Weasley had been specifically invited, even though having not attended Hogwarts for the past year, they had been instrumental (to say the least) in Voldemort's downfall. They came early, said a few comforting words, hugged their close friends, and left after wishing everyone to have a good time and finally relax. All three had seen too much in the last year, had seen friends and family die, and had hearts too full of anguish to be in a party mood.

At half past seven, the great doors burst open and a group of older people wearing what looked like Father Christmas costumes with large black bird's beaks (which spoiled the Father Christmas disguises) entered the room. They all carried large sacks with colourfully wrapping packages which they handed out to all and sundry. The presents contained candies (mostly candied pumpkin made from the apparently infinite supply of pumpkins that Hogwarts house elves had access to) and fruitcakes for the younger students, and some rather risqué small garments for their elders. There were also small nightlight amulets which glowed softly, and if a nightmare or crying was detected, would emit a mild calming compulsion and whisper "Be at peace, he's gone."

One of the staff seized a small one of the characters, who by her long dirty blonde hair and feminine torso was apparently Luna Lovegood, in spite of the fake fat belly that all the costumed people wore, and demanded who they were supposed to be. She announced in a loud voice to the room that they were 'Raven Claus'.

As the students compared their gifts, and got more and more inebriated to the delight of the younger students and the consternation of the staff (who should have known better having experienced similar bacchanalias in their own student days), some rhythmic music started to play and dancing ensued. Gradually, things became very hibited

As the malicious sympathizers with the Death Eater cause had either been expelled, driven off, or killed in the previous few days, all Houses mingled more or less freely, and new friendships were formed, some to be consummated later the same evening, or in later years.

About ten thirty, the staff announced that it was time to wrap things up. This was, of course, completely ignored.

About eleven o'clock, Hagrid shouted "Time, Gentlemen please!", this being the battle cry of British publicans everywhere, and the prefects were firmly instructed to escort their dorm-mates back to their dormitory towers and dungeons. Other than escorting the young students to the Hogwarts Express in the morning (after supplying those in need of it with anti-hangover potions), this would be the penultimate official action for the eight seventh year prefects (two of whom were the last-minute replacements of the now deceased previous Slytherin prefects).

After conducting this official duty, the senior students headed for the room on the fourth floor when the party was to continue. This group consisted of most of the departing seventh-years, and the two-thirds of the sixth-years who had birthdays between the first of September and the end of June, and so were legally adults. Several of the younger sixth-years snuck in as well, but nobody took particular note, or for that matter, really cared. It was a party and good times were to be had by all. The Dark Lord was dead, and all wanting to celebrate that fact were welcomed.

Being forewarned of the less-than-decorous nature of the festivities to be held, most students had stopped off at their dorms to change into appropriate attire.

Hannah Abbott, Leanne Farnsworth and Megan Jones entered the room wearing men's tuxedo jackets, top hats and false mustaches. They were accompanied by Zach Smith, Ernie MacMillan, and Malcolm Preece wearing far too much rouge on their cheeks, iridescent eyeshadow, and long evening gowns slit up to their hips showing black lacy knickers and stockings.

Dean Thomas took one look at the group entering the room, and quoted Ron Weasley's favourite phrase "Bloody Hell!" Seamus Finnegan burst out laughing and called out, "What the hell are you lot supposed to be?"

Ernie smiled, blew a kiss towards Seamus, and turning to his housemates, they all called out "We're the Huffle-poofs!"

One of the muggle-borns from Ravenclaw yelled out "What's Rule 6?" and all the muggle-borns (and muggle-aware) yelled back, "There is no Rule 6!" The originator then called out "What's Rule 7", to which was responded very loudly "No Pooftas!" Those who had not been initiated into the classics of British telly looked around collectively saying, "huh?"

Just then, Fay Dunbar, Vicki Frobisher, Ginny Weasley and Romilda Vane (who was technically underage, but who really cared) entered the room, and removed their school robes. Like most witches, they were not wearing bras, depending instead on suspension charms. They were all attired in a sort of French knickers which reached to mid-thigh in a flower pedal pattern – all were a bright crimson with gold lace all over them.

Some of the girls from other houses had seen similar garments, but they were certainly new to most of the males present. Lisa Turpin ran up to Ginny and asked where did you get the knickers and did they come in blue and bronze. Ginny shook her head, saying "This is the only pattern. After all, they're Gryffin-drawers!" She was promptly tossed into the swimming pool.

Ginny turned and splashed the group nearest the pool. The Hufflepuff boys took off their evening gowns, revealing their yellow bustiers (to go with their black panties, in order to complete the Hufflepuff colour scheme), and jumped in the pool making as big a splash as possible.

The splash soaked the only two Slytherins in attendance, Daphne Greengrass and Tracey Davis. In their first year, the two had been part of Pansy Parkinson's 'bitch squad' as all Slytherin girls were expected to be, until such time as they were advised as to exactly what the duties membership in the group entailed. After Daphne advised one unfortunate upper-classman of her disapproval of such practices in such a way that he required attention from Madame Pomfrey (the school's medi-witch and healer) to relocate certain impacted body parts while he bemoaned his current state of existence, they quit the squad and became best friends, isolated from the rest of their house. The tall statuesque Daphne attained a name of 'The Ice Queen' for her distain for her other dorm-mates, while the eventually more buxom Tracey was called less flattering names.

The two very wet girls doffed their outer clothing, revealing that they were wearing shiny swimsuits of a Slytherin green with silver trim; the bathing suits were very form-fitting with the sheen of silk, and appeared to have reptilian scales all over them. They had an open back, but in the front covered up to the girls' necks. The fashion conscious girls (and one or two boys) approached them to see the materials and ask about procuring similar garments (in their own house colours, of course).

Tracey shook her head and said that they were specially made from the silk of poisonous acromantulas, and their existence and properties were (until now) a House secret. She grinned at Daphne, who nodded, and said "I could be thrown out of my House for this, but today is the last time I will have had anything to do with a lot of those morons, so what the hell." The two touched the collar of their suits with their wands and commanded "Off!" The garment seemed to swell, ballooning away from their bodies, and then falling to the ground. The two stood, proudly nude, to the gasps of the group.

Daphne pointed her wand at her suit, and commanded "Enrobius". Tracey commanded her suit "Enrobius Cuddelificus". Both suits moved as if alive, Daphne's creeping up her body, tightening as it went, while Tracey's moved up her body giving gentle squeezes and caresses on the way to completely covering her torso again – apparently, she was enjoying the process immensely. Daphne looked at her friend with an annoyed expression, saying "You promised to teach me that one!"

Ginny Weasley said "That looked like they were snakes eating you!"

Tracey smiled and nodded. "They're not called 'Slither-Ins' for nothing."

After this, things, the level of decorum, and certain garments went rapidly downhill.

The next morning, the castle's house elves were sent to wake the students who had not yet shown up for breakfast before boarding the Express to return home for the summer, or in the case of the seventh-years, to leave Hogwarts perhaps never to return. They were under strict orders from the Headmistress _not_ to administer anti-hangover potions, even if begged. Some lessons had to be learned from experience. After all, good judgement comes from experience, and experience comes from bad judgement.

Only half of the usual beds were occupied, some by more than one person, in combinations that the house elves had seen many times over the hundreds of years they had served at Hogwarts (and the hundreds of end-of-the-year parties they had cleaned up after). Of these, the condition of some beds indicated vigorous activities, while others appeared to have merely been the location where the occupants had collapsed and stopped moving.

Elves were sent to locate the missing students, and found about fifteen, thoroughly soaked and in various states of undress, sleeping on the floor and lounge-chairs in the prefects' bathroom.

As the students left the castle to board the carriages taking them to the Hogsmeade station, they passed the Headmistress and Madame Pomfrey. As the students walked, trudged on dragged themselves past, Poppy was gesturing lightly with her wand, apparently showing Minerva an advanced spell which most students did not recognize, while Headmistress McGonagall smiled and wished the students a pleasant summer (which in some cases was greeted with a growl from a student in obvious cerebral discomfort).

As the last student boarded their carriage, Poppy turned to Minerva and said, "Apparently, a good party this year, and rather less wild than usual. I guess the recent circumstances put a damper on the festivities. Only one pregnancy that I can detect. There were three in my year." Minerva chuckled, "Five in mine. But that was during the war, and three were new brides who had given their new husbands what they called 'a soldier's send-off', so I guess they didn't count."

The two old friends laughed as they returned to the castle.


End file.
